Jumping in With Both Feet - My Story

Here it is the moment you've all been waiting for! What has Laina been up too? Well here you go, here it is, my story.

Two years ago, I was involved in a group at work called "Goal Cultivators" and just as it suggests we cultivated goals in all aspects of our lives, both personal and for work. We met on a quarterly bases to be held accountable for our goals. Through these sessions it was apparent to the others that I was very passionate about scrapbooking. I shared my work with them and they were certain that I could do it for others. They encouraged me convinced that there was a market for it...somewhere...How flattering! Realistic? Not so much. Until now.

For a long time I toyed with the idea of scrapbooking for others, I spent time researching on the internet and found a hand full of other ladies who were offering these services. I even approached a fellow Canadian who had a business doing it and she was more then willing to offering me advice. The difficult thing for me was, scrapbooking can be a very expensive hobby if you are on top of all the trends and where would I find the time? It is very much a labour of love like alot of hobbies. How would I have time to work full time, raise my family and have time to document and preserve my family memories let alone someone elses? I was already joggling 3 balls plus working once a month at my local scrapbook store and teaching classes there. I was afraid that my own family memories would suffer and that I would not be able to keep all the balls in the air. Until now.

A year later, I was looking for a photographer to take my family photos in the fall of 2008 (since fall is my favourite season). One of our regular customers at the scrapbook store mentioned one to me. I contacted her and set a date. In meeting her and discussing my photo needs I expressed how I would want all the photos, so that I could scrapbook them. Then the moment that changed things for me came. Yes asked me if I scrapbooked for others. She was interested in it, as a service to her clients. I hesitated. Only because I was not prepared to do this. BUT I REALLY wanted to. All my same concerns surfaced again. But this could be a wonderful opportunity. And the wheels started turning.

So slowly I started to take baby steps towards the idea that I would try and take the odd project on here and there. I'll start a blog for a way to showcase my work and allow a prospect to see what I was all about. Not to mention I felt like I was the only scrapbooker out there that didn't have a blog. Anyone, of any talent and great love for this hobby has a blog! The really great scrapbookers, card makers and altered art ladies have a blog! :) Although I know this is not true it certainly felt like that. If you want to be noticed you need a blog. So my blog Me, My Life, My Passion was born. The next item of focus was to complete my Dad's wedding album. He and my step mom were married in the fall of 2007. Given that I have boys, doesn't give me much of an opportunity to work with an elegant canvas. Then something else happened.

January of this year a friend of mine was on my "newly made blog" and commented that she wished I would scrapbook for her. This came totally out of the blue as she had no idea that, that was what I was working towards in the first place! She wanted to get her wedding album done. PERFECT! This is exactly what I was hoping for. But, there is a but. Remember I said this hobby can be expensive. Supplies, papers, rub ons, cardstock, and an album need to be bought. On top of that what, would I charge to do this for someone? How many pages can I complete in a hour what would a 20 page 12x12 album be worth? What am I worth? This is not an easy question to answer. There is a creative process that goes along with taking on a task like this and I am not a machine that can just spit out results. In the end, my friend needed to look for something a little less expensive, and as excited about it as I was I couldn't blame her for looking for alternatives. I needed an alternative also if I was going to pursue this.

Which brings me to today. Another friend of mine (someone I also met through the scrapbook store) had completely gone from traditional scrapbooking to digital. Digital scrapbooking had never really interested me that much, until now. Like many things I guess, you need to be open minded and have a need. I will admit I was also very intimidated by it as I am clueless when it comes to Photoshop and programs like that. But this was so simple. It was the entire package that I needed to start my business. It offered the tools and the publishing system and it is far less time consuming. It was available all online. No downloading. You don't have to worry about running out of supplies or not having the right colour of cardstock or not having anymore letter "a's". This was a no brainer.

So as of January 25th, 2009 I became a Heritage Makers Consultant. I have been working on all the exciting tasks that goes along with starting a new business. Like naming my business, designing this blog, getting business cards, setting up my website and learning the Heritage Makers "My Studio" program. Of course there have been a few challenges along the way too, like not having a reliable internet connection, one that would cut out every 10, 15 minutes. So things have gone a little slower then expected, but don't they always?


And so this is the story of how "Creating Your Keepsakes" was born.

I truly believe that everything happens for a reason.

"Our lives are defined by opportunities even those we don't take."